Raptors president Masai Ujiri speaks out about 2019 Finals confrontation after dramatic body camera footage is released
Ujiri said he was saddened to note that some people do not respect him only because he is Black.
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri issued a statement on Thursday regarding his physical confrontation with an Alameda County (Calif.) sheriff’s deputy after the 2019 NBA Finals last June.
In the statement that was released by the team, Ujiri said he was saddened to note that some people do not respect him only because he is Black.
“I was reminded in that moment that despite all of my hard work and success, there are some people, including those who are supposed to protect us, who will always and only see me as something that is unworthy of respectful engagement. And, there’s only one indisputable reason why that is the case — because I am Black,” Ujiri wrote.
Ujiri was attempting to join his team on the court after it won the championship over the Golden State Warriors on June 13, 2019. But sheriff’s deputy Alan Strickland, working as a security guard, confronted Ujiri at the sideline and pushed him back twice, using foul language, in an attempt to keep him away from the team.
Ujiri finally pushed back at Strickland, who later sued Ujiri, saying he had “suffered, and will continue to suffer, physical, mental, emotional, and economic injuries” due to the altercation. After others intervened, Ujiri was able to go onto the court with the team.
On Tuesday, Ujiri filed a countersuit against Strickland and made public dramatic body camera footage from Strickland that bolsters Ujiri’s description of events and contradicts Strickland’s account of being the victim.
The camera footage drew a response from many on Twitter.